Arron Storey

Lyricist / Songwriter

Genuine and experienced english lyricist and composer who divides his time between London and France. A songwriter who specialises in lyrics and vocal arrangement - let me write something beautiful for your song! I also work with French and Spanish speaking artists.

I offer a range of services from writing lyrics and topline melody through to rich vocal/string arrangement and full song production. Either way I have the tools to make your song or production sound better!

Additionally, as an Englishman who speaks french and spanish I offer a unique service to speakers of those languages who wish to record and release their music in english - verifying, editing, translating or co-writing your lyrics in english. Drop me a line for more details!

I work from a home studio equipped with Logic X and am an Apple accredited Master Pro. I'd say I'm successful because I possess a healthy blend of artistry & creativity, while also embracing the technical sides of harmony and production. However the main reason I continue to find work is that I'm friendly and considerate; the personal skills to build lasting relationships with clients who return to me time and again.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Arron was very professional in his dealings with me, and made it a point to understand and get a feel for what I was looking for. He was also very communicative about the progress of the project which I really appreciated.

Arron contributed lyrics to a song draft that I wrote and I was truely, truely impressed by the result. I could feel that Arron really tried to capture the mood of the music and immersed himself in it to write lyrics that are fitting in terms of topic, intonation and feel. He even went beyond our agreement and recorded a version with the lyrics for me. 5 stars! Highly recommended.

The most professional guy in the business! A fantastic lyricist with a great turn of phrase. Hard working and always keeps his clients happy.

Interview with Arron Storey

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That writing simple lyrics is a simple process. It's not! Writing a killer line for a house track for example - saying something cool in only a few words is sometimes more difficult than telling a full story!

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started off as a freelance guitarist after graduating from music college in London, 2002. Since then I've taught, been in a successful original band and recorded many sessions. Through working with a range of talented producers and artists I became more and more interested in production and writing; and over a seventeen year period working with clients in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia I eventually started to specialise in lyric writing and vocal arrangement.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Pen &paper. My Crafter acoustic guitar. My ukulele in case I get any unexpected visitors. My mac with a copy of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds for me to transcribe and listen to.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Jack R Hardman is a talented composer and producer - we've worked together often over the years and I would always come back to him for his fresh ideas and musicality.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm fascinated by harmony and I love the sound of blended voices, so much of what I do ends up with a nice vocal arrangement. As a composer/lyricist I aim to write music with colour and texture, and an arrangement that evolves and breathes. The music should enhance the message of the words.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Those who even after achieving success, continue to evolve, become better musicians and extend their boundaries. Miles Davis had the musicality and artistry, but was also always one step ahead of the pack. They get stick from certain quarters, but every single Coldplay album has had a different sound to its predecessor, and I like that desire to evolve.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I wrote a song called 'Smile' after travelling in Africa. It was deeply personal; sparse and quite beautiful if I'm honest. It evolved over a number of months until it featured a full band and even a choir at the end. Thankfully much of a recording process was filmed and I was able to put together a music video to accompany the song. I've picked this song above all others because not only did I write and perform the song, but then conducted the choir and mixed and produced before helping with the video. Seeing that all come together was a proud moment.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital generally. For someone who is on the move a lot, recording and mixing 'in the box' makes life a lot easier, and if you spend a few quid on some decent plug-ins there's no excuse not to sound good now.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: 1. Speak to a few people to get a feel for the person you're working with.
2. Call me!

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Pop, Soul and sometimes Classical. More and more Hip-Hop as well. A lot of acoustic stuff.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Most of my work is lyric based so I'd say that, though I'm a musician first and foremost - I love and absorb music, and that informs all decisions I make whatever I'm working on. Know your history - the real players, movers and shakers. Leave no stone unturned.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: An arranger's ear - a sense of growth and development from start to finish, whether that's in the story it tells, or the textures it moves through as it builds and evolves. If I'm writing the lyrics, I like to think I have a knack of enhancing that story through the relationship between the words and melody. Sad words can sound REALLY sad with the right melody.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'm quite studious and am happy to put the background work in first, so that once the job starts it runs smoothly. If I'm writing words I'll either sit on my balcony or bed, sketch something out and then move onto the piano to fix the melody. If I'm putting together a vocal arrangement I'll sit at the piano with manuscript paper and literally sketch it out before moving onto the Mac.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm writing english lyrics for a french label based in Paris. The artist is a very talented soul singer called 'Kessy' and it's a lot of fun!

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: Putting your hard work in the hands of a stranger can be difficult. You've taken it so far and then you have to relinquish control right near the end. I know how that feels, so I promise to make that process as stress-free as possible, and devote as much care and attention to your art as you feel it deserves.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love that my working week can be a real mixed bag, and that depending on what I'm working on, I can have lyric, composition or production jobs on the go - often at the same time! My first love as a teenager was guitar and sometimes I'm not able to touch my guitar for a couple of weeks because of work so it's a real treat when I get booked to play or write some guitar!

A: More often than not, people's biggest concerns are time frame and cost. If those two things are met then generally people are happy to proceed. With the internet and word of mouth, people generally have a pretty good idea of your credentials even before they've contacted you.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are their expectations I guess. It's usually a fairly natural conversation once you're both singing from the same page.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Dead - Claude Debussy. I don't think anyone has ever had such an individual and important philosophy towards composition and music. He had no boundaries.
Alive - Jimmy Page. Led Zeppelin's records sound as fresh and vibrant today as they did the day they were recorded. How did he do that?!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: From a mixing point of view, take the time to learn the audio spectrum - what different frequencies sound like on different instruments. It makes cleaning up (or dirtying up) a mix a lot less stressful and more enjoyable. Your EQ is your most important tool.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: It's simple but comfortable and effective. It's a nice space with quality components. A range of mics, top guitars and a piano. Two MacBook Pros with NI plug-ins - all run through nice warm Focusrite preamps. There's always a coffee or tea on the go!

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: A mixed bag! Mostly composing lyrics and vocal arrangements but I still get a bit of session guitar work and mixing /producing are all common. Still a lot of live work as well - it keeps you true!

One of the things I love about my job is how I'm able to work with
people from a range of countries. Lately I've written with with artists
from London, Paris, St Martin, Senegal, Switzerland, & L.A, meaning
I've written about a wide range of themes; great for my development as a
lyricist. Here's a recent video clip of a song I wrote.